KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 -- Douglas Lim likes to joke for a living, but there is one thing he still finds hard to believe - that comedy has taken him to some of Malaysia's most prestigious stages and audiences halfway around the world.

Next month, the comedian will headline Istana Budaya with his latest stand-up show Vital Stats, adding another milestone to a career that turns 20 next year.

The performance comes after a whirlwind few years that saw him become the first stand-up comedian to stage a solo show at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in 2024 before taking his Made in Malaysia tour nationwide, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

For Lim, none of it was part of the original plan.

"My background was actually in music. I w...